Engaging our new government

[Jean-Noé Landry]

Hi everyone, 

With the election of a new Liberal government, and the announcement of a new cabinet expected on November 4, the open data community will soon have an opportunity to engage with a new federal minister. 

Taking into consideration the range of promises articulated in the Liberal platform, I'm wondering what specific steps we'd like our new government to take in the short term. New governments often want to set a new tone early in their mandate. This will obviously be the case with this one. 

What would we want the new minister responsible for open data (or open gov, FOI, more broadly) to do in its first 100 days? 

In the UK, after the recent elections, ODI published an open data road map containing very specific recommendations designed to influence their new government. 

Ours should be feasible, timely, relevant to our context. 

Any thoughts? 

Jean-Noé 

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[Josée Plamondon]

Hi Jean Noé,

I expressed my thoughts and concerns about open data portals in a blog post for Direction Informatique (IT World Canada) yesterday. It is in French, but here is a short abstract in English (I am a poor translator):

Did we give too much space to technology in open data government programs?

Animation: Going beyond hackathons

We need more long-term engagement and follow-up on projects and citizen propositions. 

Mediation and learning 

" If an organization provides access to data, but closes off the means of understanding and processing that data — such as good documentation suite, self-service tools and SDKs — the value of the original access is lost." David Low .

Coproduction and enrichment of data (Wouldn't it be natural in a digital culture?)

Example of the French open data platform where citizens and organizations are invited to contribute.

Moderization of the public administration and "governmental porosity" (re.: Stéphane Guidoin).

Governmental policy based on the benefits of open data and open government for people, businesses and the public service.

From chief data officer to data editor

Open data portal as a media promoting and supporting the culture of data and information.

To support the economic, social and cultural development in our communities it is in our interest that the open data platforms be catalysts for the modernization of the government and active citizenship. Between producing data catalogs and agile spaces for experimentation, what should we choose?

Thanks

Josée

-- 

2015-10-21 10:47 GMT-04:00 Jean-Noé Landry <[hidden email]>:

Hi everyone, 

With the election of a new Liberal government, and the announcement of a new cabinet expected on November 4, the open data community will soon have an opportunity to engage with a new federal minister. 

Taking into consideration the range of promises articulated in the Liberal platform, I'm wondering what specific steps we'd like our new government to take in the short term. New governments often want to set a new tone early in their mandate. This will obviously be the case with this one. 

What would we want the new minister responsible for open data (or open gov, FOI, more broadly) to do in its first 100 days? 

In the UK, after the recent elections, ODI published an open data road map containing very specific recommendations designed to influence their new government. 

Ours should be feasible, timely, relevant to our context. 

Any thoughts? 

Jean-Noé 

--

Jean-Noé Landry

Executive Director | Directeur général 

Open North | Nord Ouvert 

[hidden email] | 438-398-9338 

Follow us online / Suivez nous en ligne : Twitter | Facebook 

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CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
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http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss

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[Alison Sutherland]

Hi all,

1) I've spent a lot of time on the American data sites and talking to dozens of gov CIOs, and I heartily second Josée's mediation & learning concerns. Many American platforms provide data devoid of necessary context (there's just numbers sitting without documents/links/video explanation) and many lack pathways for dialogue or have forums that CIOs admit are never read by anyone in power. I think a genuinely used feedback loop between gov & the people who might use the data is key. A simple meeting every quarter could have solved boatloads of usability problems.

2) I've learned we need to ask the question: Setting aside the good intentions, are these data being used to more equally distribute access to services, or are we accidentally scaling inequalities? Boston's pothole reporting app was disproportionately used by the affluent and redirecting public services away from lower classes (unintended realities). More troublesome was the CIO who explained to me how he used his new access to data to "run a data-driven experiment" that installed park lights in places with gang activity, moving gangs to other neighbourhood parks still missing proper lighting. This CIO seemed unaware of America's racial segregation history and how he might be "using data" to compound inequalities by cleaning up spaces of privilege and throwing the messes into struggling neighbourhoods. I heard fewer of these kinds of stories from federal CIOs, but there's plenty of ways to compound inequalities at the federal level, too. I know digital rhetoricians (like myself) focus on equitable access to public services.

Alison

PhD Candidate

Arizona State University

AlisonSutherland.com

[hidden email]

On Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 8:59 AM Josée Plamondon <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi Jean Noé,

I expressed my thoughts and concerns about open data portals in a blog post for Direction Informatique (IT World Canada) yesterday. It is in French, but here is a short abstract in English (I am a poor translator):

Did we give too much space to technology in open data government programs?

Animation: Going beyond hackathons

We need more long-term engagement and follow-up on projects and citizen propositions. 

Mediation and learning 

" If an organization provides access to data, but closes off the means of understanding and processing that data — such as good documentation suite, self-service tools and SDKs — the value of the original access is lost." David Low .

Coproduction and enrichment of data (Wouldn't it be natural in a digital culture?)

Example of the French open data platform where citizens and organizations are invited to contribute.

Moderization of the public administration and "governmental porosity" (re.: Stéphane Guidoin).

Governmental policy based on the benefits of open data and open government for people, businesses and the public service.

From chief data officer to data editor

Open data portal as a media promoting and supporting the culture of data and information.

To support the economic, social and cultural development in our communities it is in our interest that the open data platforms be catalysts for the modernization of the government and active citizenship. Between producing data catalogs and agile spaces for experimentation, what should we choose?

Thanks

Josée

-- 

Josée Plamondon, MLSI MBA

Consultant, Information Systems

514.969.1273

joseeplamondon.com

2015-10-21 10:47 GMT-04:00 Jean-Noé Landry <[hidden email]>:

Hi everyone, 

With the election of a new Liberal government, and the announcement of a new cabinet expected on November 4, the open data community will soon have an opportunity to engage with a new federal minister. 

Taking into consideration the range of promises articulated in the Liberal platform, I'm wondering what specific steps we'd like our new government to take in the short term. New governments often want to set a new tone early in their mandate. This will obviously be the case with this one. 

What would we want the new minister responsible for open data (or open gov, FOI, more broadly) to do in its first 100 days? 

In the UK, after the recent elections, ODI published an open data road map containing very specific recommendations designed to influence their new government. 

Ours should be feasible, timely, relevant to our context. 

Any thoughts? 

Jean-Noé 

--

Jean-Noé Landry

Executive Director | Directeur général 

Open North | Nord Ouvert 

[hidden email] | 438-398-9338 

Follow us online / Suivez nous en ligne : Twitter | Facebook 

_______________________________________________
CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss

--

Josée Plamondon, MSI MBA

Analyste, Exploitation de contenu numérique

514.969.1273

joseeplamondon.com

_______________________________________________
CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss

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[hidden email]
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[Josée Plamondon]

I totally agree with you Alison.

A very good question and an issue we must bring forward  : Setting aside the good intentions, are these data being used to more equally distribute access to services, or are we accidentally scaling inequalities?

Josée

2015-10-21 13:51 GMT-04:00 Alison Sutherland <[hidden email]>:

Hi all,

1) I've spent a lot of time on the American data sites and talking to dozens of gov CIOs, and I heartily second Josée's mediation & learning concerns. Many American platforms provide data devoid of necessary context (there's just numbers sitting without documents/links/video explanation) and many lack pathways for dialogue or have forums that CIOs admit are never read by anyone in power. I think a genuinely used feedback loop between gov & the people who might use the data is key. A simple meeting every quarter could have solved boatloads of usability problems.

2) I've learned we need to ask the question: Setting aside the good intentions, are these data being used to more equally distribute access to services, or are we accidentally scaling inequalities? Boston's pothole reporting app was disproportionately used by the affluent and redirecting public services away from lower classes (unintended realities). More troublesome was the CIO who explained to me how he used his new access to data to "run a data-driven experiment" that installed park lights in places with gang activity, moving gangs to other neighbourhood parks still missing proper lighting. This CIO seemed unaware of America's racial segregation history and how he might be "using data" to compound inequalities by cleaning up spaces of privilege and throwing the messes into struggling neighbourhoods. I heard fewer of these kinds of stories from federal CIOs, but there's plenty of ways to compound inequalities at the federal level, too. I know digital rhetoricians (like myself) focus on equitable access to public services.

Alison

PhD Candidate

Arizona State University

AlisonSutherland.com

[hidden email]

On Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 8:59 AM Josée Plamondon <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi Jean Noé,

I expressed my thoughts and concerns about open data portals in a blog post for Direction Informatique (IT World Canada) yesterday. It is in French, but here is a short abstract in English (I am a poor translator):

Did we give too much space to technology in open data government programs?

Animation: Going beyond hackathons

We need more long-term engagement and follow-up on projects and citizen propositions. 

Mediation and learning 

" If an organization provides access to data, but closes off the means of understanding and processing that data — such as good documentation suite, self-service tools and SDKs — the value of the original access is lost." David Low .

Coproduction and enrichment of data (Wouldn't it be natural in a digital culture?)

Example of the French open data platform where citizens and organizations are invited to contribute.

Moderization of the public administration and "governmental porosity" (re.: Stéphane Guidoin).

Governmental policy based on the benefits of open data and open government for people, businesses and the public service.

From chief data officer to data editor

Open data portal as a media promoting and supporting the culture of data and information.

To support the economic, social and cultural development in our communities it is in our interest that the open data platforms be catalysts for the modernization of the government and active citizenship. Between producing data catalogs and agile spaces for experimentation, what should we choose?

Thanks

Josée

-- 

Josée Plamondon, MLSI MBA

Consultant, Information Systems

514.969.1273

joseeplamondon.com

2015-10-21 10:47 GMT-04:00 Jean-Noé Landry <[hidden email]>:

Hi everyone, 

With the election of a new Liberal government, and the announcement of a new cabinet expected on November 4, the open data community will soon have an opportunity to engage with a new federal minister. 

Taking into consideration the range of promises articulated in the Liberal platform, I'm wondering what specific steps we'd like our new government to take in the short term. New governments often want to set a new tone early in their mandate. This will obviously be the case with this one. 

What would we want the new minister responsible for open data (or open gov, FOI, more broadly) to do in its first 100 days? 

In the UK, after the recent elections, ODI published an open data road map containing very specific recommendations designed to influence their new government. 

Ours should be feasible, timely, relevant to our context. 

Any thoughts? 

Jean-Noé 

--

Jean-Noé Landry

Executive Director | Directeur général 

Open North | Nord Ouvert 

[hidden email] | 438-398-9338 

Follow us online / Suivez nous en ligne : Twitter | Facebook 

_______________________________________________
CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss

--

Josée Plamondon, MSI MBA

Analyste, Exploitation de contenu numérique

514.969.1273

joseeplamondon.com

_______________________________________________
CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss

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CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss

--

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[hidden email]
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[Gerry Tychon-2]

Hello ...

I agree that given the election this is a time to move open data and related issues forward. I think the window of opportunity is the next 6 months and perhaps some discussion would be useful as to next steps.

"data devoid of necessary context" -- this is a data management issue. Open data can be a catalyst for much better data management.

I do have a concern that open data is resulting in open data bureaucracies rather than real progress. I am seeing staff being hired but not much on the front lines changing.

And data can always be used inappropriately. The more eyes that can see the data the better.

As for the comment on lighting and crime, I am reminded by a comment made by my old criminology professor (Gwynne Nettler) who said this was a fallacy. His observations were that lights just made it easier for criminals to see what they were doing.

... gerry

On Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 11:51 AM, Alison Sutherland <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi all,

1) I've spent a lot of time on the American data sites and talking to dozens of gov CIOs, and I heartily second Josée's mediation & learning concerns. Many American platforms provide data devoid of necessary context (there's just numbers sitting without documents/links/video explanation) and many lack pathways for dialogue or have forums that CIOs admit are never read by anyone in power. I think a genuinely used feedback loop between gov & the people who might use the data is key. A simple meeting every quarter could have solved boatloads of usability problems.

2) I've learned we need to ask the question: Setting aside the good intentions, are these data being used to more equally distribute access to services, or are we accidentally scaling inequalities? Boston's pothole reporting app was disproportionately used by the affluent and redirecting public services away from lower classes (unintended realities). More troublesome was the CIO who explained to me how he used his new access to data to "run a data-driven experiment" that installed park lights in places with gang activity, moving gangs to other neighbourhood parks still missing proper lighting. This CIO seemed unaware of America's racial segregation history and how he might be "using data" to compound inequalities by cleaning up spaces of privilege and throwing the messes into struggling neighbourhoods. I heard fewer of these kinds of stories from federal CIOs, but there's plenty of ways to compound inequalities at the federal level, too. I know digital rhetoricians (like myself) focus on equitable access to public services.

Alison

PhD Candidate

Arizona State University

AlisonSutherland.com

[hidden email]

On Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 8:59 AM Josée Plamondon <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi Jean Noé,

I expressed my thoughts and concerns about open data portals in a blog post for Direction Informatique (IT World Canada) yesterday. It is in French, but here is a short abstract in English (I am a poor translator):

Did we give too much space to technology in open data government programs?

Animation: Going beyond hackathons

We need more long-term engagement and follow-up on projects and citizen propositions. 

Mediation and learning 

" If an organization provides access to data, but closes off the means of understanding and processing that data — such as good documentation suite, self-service tools and SDKs — the value of the original access is lost." David Low .

Coproduction and enrichment of data (Wouldn't it be natural in a digital culture?)

Example of the French open data platform where citizens and organizations are invited to contribute.

Moderization of the public administration and "governmental porosity" (re.: Stéphane Guidoin).

Governmental policy based on the benefits of open data and open government for people, businesses and the public service.

From chief data officer to data editor

Open data portal as a media promoting and supporting the culture of data and information.

To support the economic, social and cultural development in our communities it is in our interest that the open data platforms be catalysts for the modernization of the government and active citizenship. Between producing data catalogs and agile spaces for experimentation, what should we choose?

Thanks

Josée

-- 

Josée Plamondon, MLSI MBA

Consultant, Information Systems

<a href="tel:[phone]" value="[phone]" target="_blank">514.969.1273

joseeplamondon.com

2015-10-21 10:47 GMT-04:00 Jean-Noé Landry <[hidden email]>:

Hi everyone, 

With the election of a new Liberal government, and the announcement of a new cabinet expected on November 4, the open data community will soon have an opportunity to engage with a new federal minister. 

Taking into consideration the range of promises articulated in the Liberal platform, I'm wondering what specific steps we'd like our new government to take in the short term. New governments often want to set a new tone early in their mandate. This will obviously be the case with this one. 

What would we want the new minister responsible for open data (or open gov, FOI, more broadly) to do in its first 100 days? 

In the UK, after the recent elections, ODI published an open data road map containing very specific recommendations designed to influence their new government. 

Ours should be feasible, timely, relevant to our context. 

Any thoughts? 

Jean-Noé 

--

Jean-Noé Landry

Executive Director | Directeur général 

Open North | Nord Ouvert 

[hidden email] | <a href="tel:[phone]" value="[phone]" target="_blank">438-398-9338 

Follow us online / Suivez nous en ligne : Twitter | Facebook 

_______________________________________________
CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss

--

Josée Plamondon, MSI MBA

Analyste, Exploitation de contenu numérique

<a href="tel:[phone]" value="[phone]" target="_blank">514.969.1273

joseeplamondon.com

_______________________________________________
CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss

_______________________________________________
CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss

_______________________________________________
CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
[hidden email]
http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss